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None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.

How this was put together

  1. Apply for jobs even if you do not meet all stated requirements, viewing them as wish lists or filters to reduce applicant volume rather than strict criteria.

    Companies often list excessive requirements to scare away unqualified candidates or to have a defensible reason for rejection without legal risk.

    • Do not lie about your experience.

    11 people, independently

  2. Use PDF format when no specific format is requested to ensure consistent layout and typography across different devices and software versions.

    PDFs prevent unwanted formatting changes caused by different MS Word versions or text processing programs, ensuring the document opens correctly for all viewers.

    • Some applicant tracking systems do not like PDFs.
    • Often HR disregard PDFs because of this.

    13 people, independently

  3. Treat the list of required credentials in a job description as a wish list of ideal traits rather than a mandatory checklist.

    The long list helps the company hire a well-rounded team and represents everything they could want.

    3 people, independently

  4. Name your resume file with your name, and optionally the job title or company, instead of using generic names like 'resume.pdf'.

    This makes the file easily recognizable to employers and shows you took the time to personalize the application.

    16 people, independently

4 more on this

  1. Submit your resume in the specific file format requested by the employer.

    Ignoring basic application instructions nearly ensures your candidacy is rejected immediately.

    6 people, independently

  2. Embed fonts in your PDF so recipients can view them even if they do not have the font installed.

    Without embedding, the system replaces missing typefaces with substitutes.

    4 people, independently

  3. Recognize that some job descriptions are written by people who do not understand the role or copy-paste generic requirements.

    Hiring managers may not know how to write requirements, or HR may fail to translate their needs accurately.

    3 people, independently

  4. Inspect Word documents to remove metadata such as author names if you used a template or service.

    File properties may list the original creator/author of the template.

    3 people, independently

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